Twitter reveals major new feature for live events

Twitter has another new feature in the pipeline, as it tries to tempt more new users to visit, and this one is a biggie by the name of Project Lightning.

As Buzzfeed revealed, the feature is based around live events, and will boast hand-picked content – including photos and videos – covering said event as it unfolds.

The events covered will vary widely, and will include big-name calendar events, for example the Super Bowl or FA Cup final, or the Oscars, but also spontaneous happenings which are breaking news. Basically, anything generating a lot of tweets will be in line for the treatment, which offers a more focused look at an event rather than trying to wade through the mire of umpteen tweets.

Kevin Weil, who manages the new product, said that it was a "bold change, not evolutionary."

He added that it would also cover "cultural events and moments — things around your location and where you are. There’s amazing content, for example, posted to Throwback Thursday every single Thursday. But it’s hard to discover it; you have to work as a user to go and find the best stuff, but [we] can do it easily and can package it richly.”

You can expect to see Project Lightning roll out in a few months’ time.

Twitter has struggled when it comes to attracting new users, and indeed monetising the service, to the point where chief executive Dick Costolo recently announced his resignation. He will leave at the end of the month, with co-founder Jack Dorsey stepping up to be interim CEO while the search for a new leader takes place.